FAA Says 1,907-ft-tall Oklahoma City Tower Could Be 'Hazard' to Air Travel
Developer Scot Matteson says the project will move forward as he awaits the final report from the FAA.
Rendering courtesy OA Architects
The Federal Aviation Administration and Oklahoma airport officials are expressing concerns that a proposed super-tall skyscraper in Oklahoma City, which would rank as the tallest structure in the country, could impact flight operations.
The FAA’s Obstruction Evaluation Group found the 1,907-ft-tall Legends Tower could pose a “hazard to air navigation." If built, the study states four local airports could be impacted by the structure: Tinker Air Force Base, Wiley Post Airport, Will Rogers International Airport and Max Westheimer Airport.
The Legends Tower was designed by AO Architects and is being developed by Matteson Capital. A general contractor has yet to be named for the proposed $1.6-billion mixed-used development project in the Oklahoma City downtown Brickyard district.
The Oklahoma City Council approved a zoning change June 4 to allow developers to construct the tower, ENR previously reported, removing the height restriction originally placed on the site.
Structural consultant Thornton Tomasetti has developed concepts for the tower, which would have 134 floors and contain roughly 2.5 million sq ft for residences, and a hotel on the top.
Developer Scot Matteson told local news outlets that the project will be built, even if it needs to be below the planned height. Currently, the tallest building in the United States is One World Trade Center in New York City, standing at 1,776 ft tall. The 1,907-ft height of The Legends Tower commemorates the year Oklahoma gained statehood.
In a 37-page letter to the building's architect, Julie Morgan, Obstruction Evaluation Group manager, says landings, departures and en-route procedures for airplanes would be impacted by the tower.
Looking for quick answers on construction and engineering topics?
Try Ask ENR, our new smart AI search tool.
Ask ENR →
“The study disclosed that the described structure would have a substantial adverse effect on air navigation,” she writes. “This determination becomes final on January 13, 2025, unless a petition is timely filed.”
The FAA and local airports are concerned straight-in approaches could be unsafe. The FAA, according to the report, received 20 letters objecting to the construction, while only two approved of the tower’s construction. Major concerns identified in the objection letters were a need to “lengthen time and paths for aircrafts at the affected airports for both take-offs and landings,” the report states.
The Oklahoma City Airport Trust, which manages Will Rogers International Airport, stated in a letter to the FAA that due to The Legends' proposed height, an elevated minimum vectoring altitude (MVA) would cause airplanes to make longer descents, and "its location would also infringe on airspace for multiple airports."
The letter also says issues arising from the building's height would likely increase travel time for passengers, adding “adverse changes” to departure procedures and “create the safety of flight issues” in the area, according to local news station KOCO 5.
In a statement to KOCO 5, Jeff Mulder, director of Will Rogers International Airport, said the letter was not to show support for or against the project, but to inform the FAA on its potential impacts to local air navigation.
